Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: confronting the myths: can America halt the slide toward health care meltdown? -- Myths, misinformation, and the pursuit of profit -- America's health care: the monster we have created -- Monster II: perverse incentives lead to bizarre outcomes -- Delayed care: rationing American style -- Jumping hoops for the uninsured: caring for patients at a Community Health Center -- Squeezing the patient: co-pays and deductibles -- Religion and health care reform: social justice and the American way -- Public health: we're all on this planet together -- Blaming the victim: a bad rap for Medicare -- We don't want a health care system like they have in those foreign countries -- The price of health: how much should we Americans be spending on health care? -- Don Quixote vs. the establishment: can the medical-industrial complex be toppled? -- In search of a "uniquely American" solution to health care for all -- Grassroots for health care for all: what can Americans do to claim a right to health care? -- National health insurance or Medicare for all: a reality in our lifetime? -- "Single payer will not fly": a response -- Needed for affordable and effective health care reform in America: a paradigm shift for prevention -- Beyond universal coverage -- Conclusion: the fox and the henhouse.